40 cr Durgaduani tidal power plant for Sundarbans
Kolkata, Jun 8 : West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA) and Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) will jointly set up a 4-MW tidal power project in Durgaduani creek of Sundarbans with an investment of Rs 40 crore.
WBREDA Managing Director S P GonChowdhury told UNI here today that the project would be commissioned in two years.
The construction of the Durgaduani project, first of its kind in the country, would start in this fiscal year.
Almost 90 per cent of the project would be funded by the MNES and the rest to be borne by the state power department, Mr Gon Chowdhury said.
The project has already received all necessary approvals from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, state Environment and Fisheries ministries, he said.
The power generation of this tidal plant would be restricted to 4 MW only as the plant would be largely dependent on high tide, he explained.
The power plant would be located on Durgaduani creek connection of river Bidya and Gomdi Khal. The creek is 8.5 KM long with an average width of 145 metres at high water.
''If this project is completed successfully, then the same can be replicated in other creeks also to produce 150 MW of tidal power in Sundarbans alone,'' he said.
''The project was conceived two years back by WBREDA. After studying a survey by United Nations in 1973, we came to know about the potential of a tidal power project in Sundarbans. In 1996-97, we had sent a project proposal to the Centre in this regard,'' he added.
The MNES had asked WBREDA, a nodal agency promoting renewable energy technologies and tapping alternative energy sources, to prepare a pre-feasibilty report.
After getting a go-ahead from the ministry, feasibility study and Detailed Project Report (DPR) were prepared but the project was delayed as it required permissions and approvals from various union and state ministries.
''The project approval got delayed as MNES was studying its merit as well as its demerit whether it would affect the region,'' he said.
UNI